Candidates
Toni Jones
Maple Heights City Council, District 2
Northeast Ohio, Local
Toni Jones has been a councilmember of Maple Heights for ten years. During this time Toni has fought tirelessly to address housing issues such as vacant property registration and working with the County Land Bank with the demolition of vacant, substandard structures. If re-elected, Toni will focus on revitalizing the city by moving toward a more fiscally stable position and increasing property values.
In 2020 Toni will continue her work as a Maple Heights City Council Member.
FacebookMeet the Candidate
Can you tell our members a little bit about your journey to filing as a candidate?
make a difference in my home community, and attending Council meetings was not enough because my voice and ideas were not heard or implemented. This was in 2006, at the forefront of the foreclosure crisis, those in my field were noticing warning signs that there was an uptick in homes being vacated and foreclosures were rising. Administration, at that time, thought it was only a “Cleveland” issue and no one was prepared to see what followed.
Tell our members about a friend or family member who inspired you to become a leader.
My Mom was a founding member of a community development corporation in Cleveland where we lived. She worked tirelessly on redlining issues and the “white flight” that occurred during that time. We stayed in the community until 1986, where she worked with the residents, businesses and the City of Cleveland to open a senior center and advocate for transportation services for the elderly.
Some of you are military veterans, some small business owners, some professionals, some mothers and grandmothers, some homemakers. How did one of these experiences shape who you are as a person and leader?
I am fortunate to have colleagues that have the same passion for quality of life and housing issues. I belong to many organizations where we analyze current local policy to make revisions and updates. Collaborating with others taught me to have a voice for change and learning to compromise. Having passion for what you believe is worth the persistence for change.
The Matriots PAC has a goal to see 50% of all elected offices in Ohio held by women by 2028. What is your vision for Ohio in 2028?
I think women have the capacity to influence change. In my community, there are more women that are determined to improve our City and the quality of life we deserve. United, we can make that change.
Tip O’Neill famously said that “all politics is local.” What are the top-two issues your community or our state face today?
The previous cuts to the local government fund basically crushed our City. The top issue is the removal of the State of Ohio fiscal emergency status. Simultaneously we need to continue increasing our local revenue and to decrease property tax delinquency. The second issue is the increase of rental property. We need to work with investors/landlords and tenants to maintain our quality of life in our neighborhoods and to make sure we are offering affordable, decent, safe and sanitary housing.
Tell us something personal about yourself.
I am a closet Lego builder, primarily the architecture and creator expert editions. I love to build Queen Anne style houses and add my own touch. I even have some houses that mirror vacant and abandoned homes. I also like visiting other cities such as Detroit and Philadelphia to experience their various neighborhoods.